Sill assembly for exterior openings



y 1962 w. w. MILLER 3,032,339

SILL ASSEMBLY FOR EXTERIOR OPENINGS Original Filed Oct. 9, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l Fig. l

44\ w? l I 'l I r I,

24 34 32 Fig. 2

INVENTOR.

WALLACE w. MILLER fi Z 25 May 8, 1962 w. w. MILLER 3,032,839

SILL ASSEMBLY FOR EXTERIOR OPENINGS Original Filed Oct. 9, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

INVENTOR.

WALLACE W. MILLER MAI/3M1 Unite States atent 3,332,839 Patented May 8,1962 3,932,839 SILL ASSEMBLY FGR EXTERIOR QPENINGS Wallace W. Miller,San Diego, Calif. Continuation of application Ser. No. 614,976, Get. 9,1956. This application Jan. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 82,127 11 Claims. (til.20-64) This application is a continuation of application Serial No.614,976, filed October 9, 1956, which has now become abandoned.

This invention relates generally to building structures and moreparticularly to a sill assembly, and still more particularly to anassembly wherein the sill per se can be used without the other elementsof the assembly, or with one or other of these other elements, whichother elements are termed herein the threshold and a pair of wedges.

A primary object of this invention is to provide apparatus for use inthe finishing of exterior openings in buildings, with an improvement inthe overall efiiciency of the finished product, as well as anaccelerated and simplified building procedure being made possible by theuse of this invention.

An ancillary object of this invention is to provide apparatus which,when fully used, will considerably decrease the actual labor and skillrequired in finishing exterior openings.

Another object, equally important, is to provide a threshold which canbe employed with a door having an interlocking type of weather strippingon its lower edge, and which will drain any moisture from the interiorside of the door to the sill at the exterior side of the same door,without any deleterious effects or the addition of any unsightlystructure.

Yet an other object of this invention is to provide a sill and thresholdassembly wherein the threshold is reversible for use with finishedfloors of different thicknesses.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sill and wedge assemblywhich is extremely simple to install and which provides a perfectlyfinished appearance, the life of the framework of the exterior openingof the building being considerably lengthened when this assembly is usedin the construction thereof.

With these objects definitely in view, along with other objects whichwill appear hereinafter as this description proceeds, this inventionconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement ofelements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in thespecification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustratedin the drawings which form a material part of this disclosure and inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a. fragmentary, isometric View of a doorway with thisinvention incorporated therein, certain portions being shown in verticalsection, the figure being proposed as showing how the sill, wedges andthreshold are positionally related in use;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the sill and one of the pair of wedges, inproperly related position and the fragmentary showing of a wall beingincluded in the figure to indicate how this assembly is used in anexterior opening of window character, this figure also representing therelationship of the sill and wedges when used without a threshold,although the floor would in the latter case extend to the left of thestructure shown in the figure;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the threshold;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of the threshold, takensubstantially on the line 44 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevational view of one of the wedges;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the sill; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional-view taken substantially on the line8-8 in FIGURE 7.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elementsand portions throughout the specification and throughout the differentviews in the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail it will first be noted that thisassembly includes a sill generally indicated at 10, a pair of wedges,one of which is shown at 12 and a threshold 14.

The environment Wherewith this invention will be used includes a door,ordinarily an inwardly swinging door, with a door frame, the door beingindicated at .16 and the door frame at 18 in FIGURE 1. Finish flooring2i) and rough flooring 22 are also indicated fragmentarily in FIGURE 1,it being noteworthy that tile or carpet will in some cases be added tothe structure shown. Wall structure 24 is indicated fragmentarily inFIGURE 2.

Coming now to a more particular description of the sill per se, it willfirst be noted'that this sill is of slab form with a vertical face 26 atone longitudinal edge of the slab, the sill being generally rectangularin plan form. The sill has a horizontal base 28 and a sloping upper face'35), with a vertical faceplate 32 at what may be considered the outeredge of the sill. This vertical faceplate 32 depends below the adjacentportions of the sill and terminates in a drip edge 34. Channels 36 areformed in the underside of the sill, in that portion of the sill remotefrom the faceplate 32. Rows of bores 38 are provided in lateral edgeportions of the sill, as best illustrated in FIG- URES 7 and 8, and awatershed lip 40 extends upwardly from the upper face 30, as indicatedin FIGURES l, 2, 7 and 8, the face of this lip 40 being co-planar withthe above mentioned vertical face 26 at that edge of the sill.

A pair of wedges will ordinarily be used with the sill 10, each wedgehaving a body portion 42 which is tapered throughout its length and agrooved portion 44 is provided adjacent the end of the wedge which willbe disposed inwardly of the assembly, this groove portion fitting overthe watershed lip 40, and each wedge has an end plate 46 which extendsvertically downward to provide a finish face for the assembly, thisbeing particularly valuable when the assembly is used, as indicated inFIGURE 2, for a window sill. A plurality of bores 48 are provided in thebody portion 42 of each wedge, these bores 48 registering with the bores38 of the sill.

Corning now to the threshold, this element will be seen to include atread 50 having portions 52 and 54 extending horizontally beyond a neck56 which connects the tread with the base of the threshold, this basebeing constituted of a pair of parallel legs 58 and 60. These legs are'each arcuate in cross-sectional shape and are spaced widely apart toprovide stability to the threshold. The leg 58 is considerably shorterin its effective vertical dimension than is the leg 6d. This differencein the vertical dimensions of the legs enables the user to use thethreshold with finish floors of different thicknesses. For example, whenthe finish floor 20 is relatively thick, the shorter leg 58 is disposedinwardly of the opening, the longer leg 60 then resting on the inclinedsurface of the sill and the tread surface being disposed in horizontalposition alternatively, when the finish floor 20 is of lesser verticaldimension, then the threshold is reversed, end to end, and the shorterleg 58 is disposed outwardly of the opening to compensate for the lesserof the finish floor.

It is an important feature of this invention that the extendingport-ions 52 and 54 are selectively engageable with an interlocking typeresilient bottom weather strip 62, such as is now commonly required fordoors in exterior openings. These interlocking weather strips areordinarily secured by nails, such as that indicated at 64 on the bottomedge of the door 16. Channels 66 are provided, adjacent the neck 56, inthe threshold, the highest portions of the legs 58 and 60 being slightlyabove the corresponding bottoms of these channels 66, so that moisturedraining down from the door 16 and following the interlocking weatherstrip 62 will collect in the channel 66 disposed inwardly of the dooropening. Drainage apertures 68 are provided in the neck 56 tocommunicate with the corresponding channels 66 and the space between thelegs 58 and 60, and bafiies 70 are formed integral with the neck portionto direct water from the drainage apertures 68 toward a limited areasubstantially midway between the said legs. Weep holes are provided inthe lower edges of both legs, and water reaching the above mentioned arebetween the legs and will gravitate through these weep holes and escapeonto the upper surface of the sill 10.

It should be particularly noted that the water shed lip 40 is disposedon the upward or inward side of the corresponding baffle 70, in allcases, so that this watershed further insures that no drainage will findescape toward the building.

When installing, the sill and wedges are secured by wood screws 74, orthe like, and inserted through the bores 38 and 48, into the lower endsof the frame elements of the opening, afterwards the frame elements withthe parts attached are slid into place. In attaching the threshold,holes are bored through the tread and wood screws of the like are usedto hold this element in place.

The operation of this invention has been referred to in some detailduring the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, andfurther description would appear to be unnecessary. It is obvious thatall the objects set forth in the preamble to this specification areamply achieved by this invention.

Minor variation from the form disclosed herein may be resorted towithout departure from the spirit and scope of this invention and what Iclaim as new and desire by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a finish floor; a door sill comprising a slab ofgenerally rectangular plan form and tapering toward a vertical thicknessadjacent one longitudinal edge portion thereof, an upstanding watershedlip on the upper surface of the slab and extending along the oppositeedge of the slab, said slab having a plurality of channels extendinglongitudinally of the sill on the under face thereof and in the portionof the sill remote from said edge portion, said door sill having avertical face at the edge thereof remote from said edge portion andabutting an edge of said finish floor; said watershed lip extendingabove the level of said edge of the finish floor; and a thresholdstraddling said watershed lip and having a portion thereof resting uponsaid sill.

2. A sill and threshold assembly comprising: a sill of generallyrectangular plan form and tapering toward a minimum vertical thicknessadjacent one longitudinal edge thereof, said sill having a watershed lipon the upper surface of the sill along the opposite edge thereof; and athreshold discrete from and having a portion thereof resting upon saidsill and comprising a tread, and a base having leg portions straddlingsaid watershed lip and supporting said tread, said threshold having anoverall transverse dimension much less than the corresponding transversedimension of the sill and said threshold covering only a small edgeportion of the sill adjacent to said watershed lip.

3. A sill and threshold assembly comprising: a sill of generallyrectangular plan form and tapering toward a minimum vertical thicknessadjacent one longitudinal edge thereof, said sill having a watershed lipon the upper surface of the sill along the opposite edge thereof; and athreshold discrete from said sill and comprising a tread, and a basehaving leg portions straddling said watershed lip and supporting saidtread; one of said legs being vertically shorter than the other and saidthreshold being reversible with respect to said sill in installationswhere the finish fioor structure is at different levels relative to anadjacent portion of the sill; one of said legs resting 4 upon said sill,the other of said legs being dimensioned to rest upon an adjacentportion of a finished floor surface.

4. A threshold for use with a sill, said threshold comprising: a tread,a supporting base having a pair of spaced apart legs extendinglongitudinally of the tread and unitary therewith, said legs being ofunequal vertical length and the bottoms of said legs being at unequalheight when said tread is horizontal, said threshold being substantiallysymmetrical about a vertical plane through the longitudinal center lineof said tread except for the inequality in the height of the bottoms ofsaid legs, said threshold being adaptable to use with finished floors atdifferent heights relative to an adjacent sill by mere reversal, end toend, of said threshold relative to a sill.

5. A threshold for use with an exterior door and sill comprising: atread, a supporting base having a pair of spaced legs extendinglongitudinally of the threshold, one of said legs being verticallyshorter than the other to accommodate said threshold to differentinstallations wherein a finsh floor surface is at difierent levelsrelative to an adjacent sill structure, said threshold being reversibleend to end with respect to said adjacent sill structure, with one leg ofsaid threshold resting upon said sill and the other leg resting upon thefinished floor surface; said tread being normal to and substantiallysymmetrical about a vertical plane through the longitudinal center lineof said tread, and the entire threshold being substantially symmetricalabout said plane except for the difierence in length of said legs,whereby mere reversal of the threshold serves to adapt the same to usein doorways where the finished floor is either higher or lower than theportion of the sill upon which one of said legs rests, said tread andlegs being unitary.

6. A threshold for use with an inwardly opening, exterior doorcomprising: a tread, a supporting base having a pair of spaced legsextending longitudinally of the threshold said tread including portionseach extending horizontally above and parallel to one of said legs,drainage channels defined in said threshold between each of saidportions of the tread and the adjacent legs, said drainage channelshaving communication with the space between said legs, both legs havingweep holes; one of said legs being vertically shorter than the otherleg; the difierence in the length of said legs adapting the threshold touse in installations where a finish floor structure is at differentlevels relative to an adjacent portion of a sill; and said thresholdbeing reversible, end to end, with respect to said sill, so that one legof said threshold rests upon the upper surface of said sill and theother leg rests upon the finished floor surface at either of two levelswith said tread disposed properly horizontal.

7. A threshold and sill assembly for use with a door, said assemblycomprising: a threshold having a tread, a supporting base having a pairof spaced legs extending longitudinally of the threshold, said treadhaving a portion extending horizontally above and parallel to theadjacent one of said legs, a drainage channel defined in said thresholdbetween said portion of the tread and said adjacent one of said legs,said channel having communication with the space between said legsToneof said legs being an inwardly disposed leg with reference to said doorand resting upon a finished floor surface and the other leg being anoutwardly disposed leg with reference to said door and having weepholes; a sill discrete from said threshold, disposed beneath saidthreshold and having a downwardly sloping surface beneath said outwardlydisposed leg and a watershed lip upstanding from said surface of thesill and disposed between said legs to prevent drainage flow thereontoward said inwardly disposed leg, said outwardly disposed leg restingupon an intermediate portion of the upper surface of said sill.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein said threshold has baffiemeans between said legs and disposed to direct flow from said channel toa limited area substantially midway between said legs.

9. A threshold, sill and wedge assembly for use with a door having aninterlocking type bottom weather strip, said assembly comprising: .athreshold having a tread, a supporting base having a pair of spaced legsextending longitudinally of the threshold, said tread having a portionextending horizontally above and parallel to the adjacent leg, adrainage channel defined in said threshold between said portion of thetread and the adjacent leg, said channel having communication with thespace between said legs and the other leg having weep holes; and a silldiscrete from said threshold, disposed beneath said threshold and havinga downwardly sloping surface beneath said other leg, a watershed lipupstanding from said surface and disposed between said legs to preventdrainage flow thereon toward the first mentioned leg; and a pair ofwedges each having a body portion with vertical bores therein, and agrooved portion to hook over said watershed lip at each end thereof,said sill having corresponding bores in the end portions thereof inregister with the first mentioned bores whereby the sill and wedges arerendered easily securable in relating fixed relation by screws insertedfrom the bottom upwardly through said sill and wedge into door framestructure,

said threshold having one of said legs resting upon the upper surface ofthe sill, and the other leg resting upon an adjacent portion of a floorsurface.

10. A sill according to claim 1 and a pair of wedges each having a bodyportion with vertical bores therein, a grooved portion to fit over saidwatershed lip, and an end plate abutting said vertical face of the sill,said sill having corresponding vertical bores therein in register withthe first mentioned bores.

11. A sill and threshold assembly comprising: a sill of generallyrectangular plan form and tapering toward a minimum vertical thicknessadjacent one longitudinal edge thereof, said sill having a watershed lipon the upper surface of the sill along the opposite edge thereof; and athreshold discrete from said sill and comprising a tread, and a basehaving leg portions straddling said watershed lip and supporting saidtread, said leg portions being dissimilar for adaption to differentinstallations and said threshold being reversible, end to end, withrespect to said sill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBarringer Jan. 12, 1932

